1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to a medical device having at least one device component with a control arrangement for controlling the device component.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Medical devices typically include a number of device components which can be for example, a mounting plate, a radiation receiver, a radiation transmitter, a radiation diaphragm, an operating unit, etc. A control arrangement is further provided which operates one or more of these components for conducting a medical examination or treatment of an examination subject. To this end, the device components are connected mechanically and/or electrically with the control arrangement and possibly with each other. Particularly in complex medical devices, such a control arrangement frequently employs a computer which receives and evaluates signals from the components and/or transmits signals thereto. By means of a specific control program, the control signals required by each device component are forwarded to the device component, or the signal emanating from a device component is evaluated in the desired manner. Thus the control arrangement is provided in the medical device with connections to its device components. Should the medical device subsequently be reconfigured with a new or another device component, then the control arrangement must be correspondingly modified, which can ensue through a modification of the control parameters of the controlling sequence, of the control program, and/or by completely exchanging of the xe2x80x9coldxe2x80x9d control arrangement with a modified control arrangement. This kind of exchange of a device components usually very expensive, sometimes positively so.
An object of the present invention to provide a way of reconfiguring a medical device of the aforementioned type such that an exchange and/or a modification of a device component is possible and less costly.
The above object is achieved in accordance with the principles of the present invention in a medical device wherein the control arrangement includes a code reader allocated to at least one device component controlled by the control arrangement, the code reader reading a component-specific code allocated to the device component. If and when a reconfiguration of the control arrangement becomes necessary, the reconfiguration can be undertaken on the basis of the code read by the code reader.
By providing a means for reading a component-specific code allocated to the device component, a device-specific configuration of the control arrangement can ensue in a simple and cost-effective manner. An exchange or a modification of a device component is thus possible, costs less, and is less cost-intensive relative to conventional procedures.